IOC completes on-site inspection on positive note PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province ― PyeongChang came one step closer to hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics on Friday, passing its first big test from the International Olympic Committee. The IOC team, which arrived here on Monday, showed satisfaction after completing its on-site inspection for the city’s bid for the 2018 Winter Games, according to Pye...

The fixtures for the new K-League season have finally been announced and the 29th edition kicks off on March 5. There is much to look forward to in 2011 but it is a case of getting in at the deep end for the nation’s soccer fans as the opening weekend sees a clash between the country’s two biggest rivals FC Seoul and Suwon Bluewings. More than 60,000 are expected at Seoul World Cup Stadium and i...

14-member panel expresses satisfaction with infrastructure PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province ― The International Olympic Committee evaluation team on Thursday visited sports venues in PyeongChang, one of three candidate cities bidding for the 2018 Winter Olympics. On fourth day of their visit, the IOC delegation, led by Gunilla Lindberg of Sweden, took a careful look around the Nordic, cross countr...

Boltonclip Wigan 1-0 in FA Cup 4th-round replay LONDON (AP) ― Arsenal rallied in the second half to beat Spanish giant Barcelona 2-1 in a thrilling first-leg match in the last 16 of the Champions League and three Brazilians scored for Shakhtar Donetsk in its 3-2 victory in Roma. Russia captain Andrey Arshavin came off the bench and capped a flowing length-of-the-field move with the winner for A...

VALENCIENNES, France (AFP) ― Having overcome difficulties with the language barrier, Valenciennes’ South Korean youngster Nam Tae-hee has begun to play a central role in his side’s battle to avoid relegation. With two assists in nine appearances this season, the 19-year-old is starting to make his presence felt ― a little over two years since he arrived in France in January 2009. He has also ea...

Panel of experts delivers presentations about PyeongChang’s 2018 bid PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- The head of PyeongChang’s bid committee says he was confident about how the bid was going. PyeongChang, the candidate city of the 2018 Winter Games, is now undergoing on-site evaluation by the International Olympic Committee. On day three of their visit, the 14-member panel, officially began i...

On a recent visit to the Alpensia winter sports complex in South Korea’s mountainous eastern region, legions of young athletes were shuffling up and down the groomed slopes, practicing for an upcoming event. A two-day snowfall had just blessed the area with about 60 centimeters of fresh snow just in time for the arrival this week of an IOC team to inspect PyeongChang’s bid to host the 2018 Winte...

Officials blame poor record keeping for latest questions about age BEIJING (AP) ― Chinese skating officials are blaming poor record keeping for the latest questions about the age and eligibility of some athletes, including 2006 Olympic pairs silver medalists Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao. The birthdates the Zhangs provided when they entered competitions were “real,” the Chinese Skating Association sa...

South Korean soccer players Park Ji-sung and Cha Du-ri have been ruled out for about a month with injuries, their respective European clubs said Tuesday. Park, a midfielder for Manchester United in the English Premier League, will miss about four weeks of action with a hamstring injury, the team announced on its website. “We got a blow on Saturday morning with the news that Park Ji-sung did his...

South Korean football players Park Ji-sung and Cha Du-ri have been ruled out for about a month with injuries, their respective European clubs said Tuesday. Park, a midfielder for Manchester United in the English Premier League, will miss about four weeks of action with a hamstring injury, the team announced on its Web site. "We got a blow on Saturday morning with the news that Park Ji-sung did ...

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province ― With PyeongChang getting into full swing to impress the IOC evaluation commission, Korea’s best winter sports athletes gathered here Tuesday for the 92nd National Winter Sports Festival. The annual competition kicked off Tuesday with the opening ceremony at Yongpyong Resort in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province. More than 2,300 athletes, including Vancouver gold trio ...